Manufacture of rifled gun barrels



w 1 3 m 5 e 4 & 3 2 m e h s 4 s L E R R A B M G D R E L cw Filed July22, 1942 Zmvcutor W. C. RICK RODE March 28, 1944. w. c. RI

MANUFACTURE OF R (Ittornc March 28, 1944. w. c. RICKRODE MANUFACTURE OFRIFLED GUN BARRELS Filed July 22, 1942 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 3nncntor W. C.RICK R0 DE March 28, 1944. 'w c RlcKRODE 2,345,359

MANUFACTURE OF RIFLED GUN BARRELS Filed July 22, 1942 4Sheets-Sheet 3Fig. 5

'I I III Simon-tor w. c. RICK R005 35 W rk (Itfomeg March 28, 1944. w.c, RICKRODE MANUFACTURE OF RIFLED GUN BARRELS 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 FiledJuly 22, 1942 F Summer K RO DE W. C. RIC

3 W Gttorncu Patented Mar. 28, 1944 MANUFACTURE OF RIFLED GUN BARRELSWilliam C. Rickrode, Ma

County, Pa., assignor nchester Township, York to York Safe and LookCompany, York, Pa., a corporation of Delaware Application July 22, 1942,Serial No. 451,819

11 Claims.

This invention relates to the manufacture of rifled gun barrels, andmore particularly to the operation of honing the spiral rifle groovesafter the same have been formed with cutting tools.

Under present practice of rifling the bores of gun barrels of highvelocity, long range cannon, in some instances the bores are formed witha large number of spiral rifle grooves. For instance, there may be asmany as sixteen rifle grooves. These rifle grooves may all besimultaneously formed by a suitable cutting tool or by a series ofcutting tools. At the completion of the groove cutting operation it isnecessary to remove burrs and to otherwise finish the rifled bore of thecannon so that the rifle grooves will be very smooth.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved method andmeans for honing grooves, especially the spiral rifle grooves of gunbarrels and the like. I

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved method andmeans for finishing the bore of a gun barrel by honing actions,substantially as herein shown and described, and more particularlypointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings- Fig. 1 illustrates ashort section of a gunbarrel with a honing tool disposed therein in the act of honing therifle grooves;

Fig. 2 is a View similar to Fig. 1, showing the gun barrel with a pairof honing tools arranged therein in tandem relationship with each other;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged side elevationof the honing tool shown in Fig. 1removed from the gun barrel;

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a transverse section taken on the line 55 of Fig. l;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional view of one of the rifle grooves beforethe same has been honed; and

Fig. '7 is a view of the structure shown in Fig. 6 showing the manner inwhich the surfaces of the groove are honed.

Referring to the drawings, the gun barrel II, which may be of any sizeor cross section, has its bore formed with a series of spiral radialgrooves l2 defining lands l3 therebetween. The lands l3 may be somewhatnarrower in width than the width of the grooves 12.

As shown in Figs. 6 and '7, each rifle groove i2 has a bottom surface[4, and two side walls l5 and I6 which extend from the bottom of thegroove outwardly to the lands I3. At the junction of the side wall ISwith the bottom I4, there is a curved surface 11, and'like'wise at thejunction of the side wall l6 with the bottom I4 there is a curvedsurface l8. g

In order to form the grooves l2 in'the bore of the gun barrel H, a drawcutting tool may be used. Such a tool is reciprocated and'rotated withinthe gun barrel bore. When the cutting operation is completed thesurfaces of the rifled bore are usually rough, as shown in Fig. 6, andin order to remove burrs and other roughness, which tend to hinder thefree passage of a projectile through the bore of the gun barrel, andgive the surfaces of the bore and especially the surfaces of the riflinggrooves a smooth finish, it is necessary to finish such surfaces with asuitable honing tool or by some other method.

The honing tool comprises a body 2|, preferably in the form of acylinder of suitable diameter and length to slide easily in the bore ofthe gun barrel The longitudinal center of the cylindrical body 2| may beformed with an opening 22 so that suitable means may be secured to thetool for the purpose of operating the same.

In the present instance the operating means for the honing tool shown inFigs. 1, 3 and 4, comprises a rod 23 having a diameter slightly lessthan the diameter of the opening 22 so that the body of the honing tool2| will be free to rotate with respect to the rod 23.

One end of the rod 23 is formed with an eye 24 which is held in spacedrelation to an end wall of the honing tool body 2| by means of a washer25 disposed on the rod between the eye 24 and the end wall of saidhoning tool body.

The end of the rod 23 opposite to the end having the eye 24 is formedwith screw threads 26 for the reception of one or more nuts 21.

Interposed between the nuts 21 and the end wall of the honing tool body2|, is a washer 28 which may be substantially similar to the washer 25.

The manner in which the rod 23 is operatively connected to the body ofthe honing tool 2| is such that the washer 25 prevents the eye 24 frombearing tightly against one end wall of the honing tool body and thewasher 28 separates the nuts 21 from the other end wall of the body 2|.Since the rod 23 is freely rotatable in the opening 22, a looseconnection is provided between the body 2| and the rod 23, therebypermitting free rotative movements of the honing tool with respect tosaid rod. The body 2| can also move lengthwise of the rod for a limiteddistance.

A handle or stem 29 of suitable length is connected to the rod 23 bymeans of a link or connector element 30.

The link 30 has one end formed with a bifurcated portion to providespaced ears 3|, between which the eye 24 of the rod 23 is disposed.

The ears 3| are formed with alined openings 32 so arranged that theopening of the eye 24 can be alined therewith to receive a couplingmember in the nature of a bolt or screw 33.

In this way one end of the link 30 is pivotally connected to the rod 23,and such pivotal connection should preferably be loose so as to permitfree movement of the link with respect to said rod.

The end of the link 3|] opposite to the end having the ears 3| is formedwith a fiat portion having a size to be disposed in a slot 35 formed inthe end portion of the handle 29.

The end portion of the handle 29 is formed, on each side of the slot 35,with alined openings 35 which said openings are adapted to be alinedwith the opening 34 in the end of the link 39 for the reception of a pin31.

If so desired the handle 29 may have screw threads 38 formed on the endportion thereof having the slot 35, and threadedly engaging the screwthreads 38 is an internally threaded annular band 39.

The band 39 may be formed of a material which will not injure therifling grooves 2 of the gun barrel H should the end of the handle 29contact such grooves during operation of the honing tool.

When the band 39 is mounted on the end of the handle 29 in the mannershown in Figs. 3 and 4, said band is formed with diametrically disposedopenings 40 which aline with the openings 34 and 36, and the pin 31 isdriven tightly into said alined openings so as to make the link 39 rigidwith the handle 29.

Formed in the outer periphery of the body 2|, is a series of similarlyconstructed spiral radial pockets or grooves 43.

The grooves 43, in cross section, may be substantially rectangular inform, and said grooves may have suitable depth. However, the bottom ofeach groove 43 is spaced a considerable distance from the wall of theopening 22, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5.

The pockets or grooves 43 extend lengthwise of the body 2|, beingsuitably spaced apart in the manner shown best in Fig. 5. The grooves 43are arranged at an angle with respect to the longitudinal center line ofthe body 2|, so that the honing elements or stones will fit properly inthe rifle grooves |2 If so desired, arcuate or semicircular ends 44 maybe formed at each end of the pockets 43. Each end 44 is spaced asuitable distance from the end of the body 2|, so that the pockets havea length somewhat less than the overall length of the body 2|.

Mounted in each pocket or groove 43 is a stone 45 which may be in theform of a block of abrasive material. These abrasive elements 45 are soconstructed as to be freely movable inwardly and outwardly of thepockets or grooves 43, and each abrasive element 45 may have an arcuateend 45 corresponding substantially to the ends 44 of said pockets orgrooves. Since the pockets or grooves 43 are of elongated form, theabrasive blocks or stones 45 likewise are elongated in form and saidstones have a width to fit the rifling grooves |'2 so that during theoperation of the tool said rifling grooves will be honed in the mannerto be hereinafter more fully described.

In order to resiliently support each abrasive stone 45 in its pocket 43,the bottom of each pocket is formed with one or more recesses 41.

Mounted in each recess 41 and bearing against the bottom face of eachabrasive block 45, is an expansible coil spring 48.

In Fig. 4, the device is shown as being con- 1| structed with a pair ofspaced apart springs 48 under each abrasive block 45.

To limit the amount of outward movement of the stones 45 with respect tothe body 2|, any suitable means may be employed. In the present instancesuch means is shown as comprising a pair of spaced rings 49 whichencircle the body 2| and are mounted in alined slots or notches 50 and5|, formed in the body 2| and in the stones 45, respectively.

The slots 5| may be disposed adjacent to the ends 46 of the stones 45,as shown best in Figs. 3 and 4, and the rings 49 are so arrangedrelative to the disposition of the springs 43 that the forces of saidsprings, acting against the forces of said rings, prevent the abrasiveblocks 45 from rocking upwardly and downwardly lengthwise of the pockets43. In other words, the rings 49 retain the abrasive blocks 45 in properposition in the tool so that smooth surfaces are produced during thehoning operation. In this way better work will be produced with the useof the improved honing tool than has been possible heretofore with knowndevices designed for a similar pur- DOSE.

During operation of the honing tool, the stones 45 may shift theirpositions in the body 2| as the result of the action of the springs 48thereagainst, consequently the rings 49 should be of a flexible type andshould have sufficient resiliency to at all times counteract theexpansion forces of the springs 48 sufliciently to retain the stones 45in the desired position in the grooves 43 and to also prevent saidstones from being dislodged or misplaced from their respective pockets.

As shown in Fig. 5 the body 2| carries eight honing stones 45. Such ahone is primarily adapted to be used for honing the rifle grooves ofcannons of the type in which the barrel is formed with either eight orsixteen rifle grooves. Thus, when the honing operation is commenced in agun barrel having sixteen rifle grooves, the eight stones 45 of thehoning tool are arranged in every other rifle groove. The operatinghandle 29 should have sufficient length to enable the "body 2| tobemoved lengthwise of the gun barrel :for the entire lengthof saidbarrel.

The operator inserts the honing tool in one end of the gun barrel, withthe stones 45 disposed in alternate rifle g ooves I2, as has beendescribed, and by moving the operating handle 29 inwardly and outwardlyof the barrel with short strokes, hones a section of the rifle grooves.After honing a shortsection of the rifle grooves, the hone is advancedfurther into the .bore of the gun barrel II and the operation repeateduntil the entire gun barrel has been honed.

Although, in actual practice it has been found best to operate thehoning tool in the above described manner by imparting relatively shortreciprocating strokes thereto, it will be understood that, when sodesired, the honing tool can be moved in a single stroke through the gunbarrel from one end to the other end thereof, either manually or bymeans of a suitable machine or power operated means.

Since each abrasive element '45 is individually urged outwardly by itsrespective pair of springs 48, wear of the honing elements will notafiect the operation of the tool to properly hone at one time aplurality of rifling grooves, and therefore all rifling .will be honedsmoothly and uniformly at one time by the operation of the tool in the.above described manner.

Due to the manner in which the body 2| is hingedly connected to theoperating handle 29 through the loose connection provided by the link 30and the rod 23, the operator can hold the handle 29 somewhat rigid andmove the same rectilinearly of the gun barrel without affecting thespiral or curvilinear movement of the honing tool 2| resulting from theaction of the abrasive stones 45 following the spiral rifiing grooves ofthe gun barrel. Thus, the honing tool 2| is free to move spirally withinthe gun barrel as the result of the rectilinear movements impartedthereto by the operating member 29, without the abrasive stones 45becoming wedged or otherwise restricted in freely moving in the riflegrooves I2. In other words, since the body 2| is free to move in alldirections with respect to the rod 23, when said body is movedrectilinearly in a gun barrel the abrasive stones 45 will slide freelyin the rifling grooves l2, and thereby hone said grooves to the desiredfinish in the least possible time.

In order to enhance the operation of the honing tool when the abrasivestones 45 encounter extremely rough surfaces during the honingoperation, means have been provided by which the normally freelyrotatable body 2| can be coupled to the operating member or handle 29and the handle manipulated to exert forces upon the body 2| so that theabrasive stones 45 are urged against the surfaces of the grooves |2 insuch manner that such surfaces will be quickly honed to a smooth finish.

The above referred to means for coupling the honing tool body 2| to thehandle 29 comprises a pair of pins or lugs 4| and 42,

The pin 4| projects outwardly from an end wall of the body 2| into thepath of the pin 42 which is carried by the link 30.

In Figs. 3 and 4, the pins 4| disengaged.

During operation of the honing tool, in order to hone the three surfaces|4, l5 and I6 and also the corners H and I8 of each rifle groove I2,when the handle 29 is moved in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 1, andwith the pin 42 engaging the pin 4 as shown in Fig. 7, the honing stones45 will hone the surfaces l4, l5 and H. In other words, the surface I5is the pressure edge when the honing tool is moved in the direction ofthe arrow, Fig. l, and the edge It is the relief edge. Upon a reversestroke or movement being imparted to the honing tool, the handle isfirst rotated to dispose the pin 42 in engagement with the side of thepin 4| opposite to the side shown in Fig. 7, so that the surfaces l5will be engaged by the sides of the abrasive stones 45 on the outwardstroke of the honing tool in the gun barrel. During the inward andoutward strokes of the honing tool the bottom surfaces l4 are honed bythe outer surfaces of the abrasive stones 45, while on the inward strokesurfaces l5 are honed and on the outward stroke the surfaces it arehoned. In this way the rough surfaces of the rifle grooves can bequickly finished to the desired smoothness.

' Since the honing tool herein shown carries only eight hones, and thebore of the gun barrel is shown as having sixteen rifle grooves |2formed therein, in order that all of the rifle grooves can be honedsimultaneously, two honing tools may be coupled together in end to endrelation, as shown in Fig. 2, so that the abrasive stones 45 of one toolcan be disposed or positioned in certain of the rifle grooves, and theabrasive stones 45 of the other tool disposed in the remaining riflegrooves.

In mounting the two honing tools in end to end and 42 are shownrelation, the rod 23 is made long enough to accommodate two of thebodies 2| and a washer 52, mounted on said rod, is disposed between theadjoining ends of the two bodies so as to maintain said bodies in spacedrelation to permit free movements thereof during the honing operation.

When the two honing tools are coupled together in the manner shown inFig. 2, the abrasive stones 45 of the second tool occupy the empty riflegrooves l2 shown in Fig. 5.

It will be understood that the honing tool can be constructed with anynumber of abrasive stones 45 so that the tool can be used to hone thebores of gun barrels having any number of rifle grooves other than theparticular type of gun barrel herein shown and described.

While I have described the invention in great detail and with respect tothe present preferred form thereof, it is not desired to be limitedthereto since changes and modifications may be made therein withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention. The invention maybe embodied in other specific forms without departing from the essentialcharacteristics thereof. The present embodiments are therefore to beconsidered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, thescope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims ratherthan by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within themeaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended tobe embraced therein.

Havin thus described my invention, what I claim is:

l. A honing tool of the character described comprising, a body having inits outer surface longitudinally spaced spirally disposed grooves, ablock of abrasive material in each groove, operating handle, means forconnecting the operating handle with said body so that said body isfreely movable in both rectilinear and rotatable directions with respectto said handle, and means carried by said handle and engageable withmeans carried by said body for transmitting rotative forces imparted tosaid handle to said body.

2. A tool for honing the spiral rifle grooves of gun barrels and thelike, comprising a cylindrical body having in its outer peripherylongitudinally extending spirally disposed grooves, an abrasive elementresiliently mounted in each groove for disposition in said riflegrooves, means for limiting the outward movement of said abrasiveelements with respect to said body, a bore formed lengthwise of saidbody along the center thereof, a rod mounted in said bore about whichsaid body is freely rotatable, an operating member, means for looselyconnecting the operating member with said rod so that said rod is freelymovable rectilinearly and rotatively with respect to said operatingmember, said operating member being adapted to be moved rectilinearly toimpart rectilinear movements to the honing tool, said honing tool beingadapted to turn on spiral lines in the gun barrel during rectilinearmovements imparted thereto by said operating member without likewiseturning said operating member.

3. Means for honing the spiral rifle grooves of a gun barrel or thelike, comprising acylindrical body having a pluralityof abrasiveelements resiliently mounted in its outer periphery, said abrasiveelements extending longitudinally of the cylindrical body and arrangedspirally in spaced relation so as to be disposed in the rifle grooves, arod mounted in said cylindrical body and freely rotatable with respectthereto, an operating member having an end loosely connected to said rodso that said rod is freely movable rectilinearly and rotatively withrespect to said operating member, said operating member being adapted tobe moved rectilinearly to impart corresponding movements to saidcylindrical body, said abrasive elements in said cylindrical body beingadapted to follow the paths of the spiral rifle grooves of the gunbarrel during rectilinear movements imparted to the cylindrical body bysaid operating member.

4. A device for polishing inner spiral grooves of a hollow body, saiddevice comprising a cylindrical holder having in its outer surfacelongitudinally spaced spirally disposed grooves, an abrasive elementresiliently mounted in each groove, a bore formed lengthwise of saidholder along the center thereof, a rod mounted in said bore about whichsaid holder is freely rotatable and movable rectilinearly with respectthereto, and an operating member loosely connected to an end of said rodin spaced relation to an end of said holder.

5. A device for polishing inner spiral grooves of a hollow body, saiddevice comprising a cylinder having a plurality of abrasive elementsresiliently mounted in its outer periphery, said abrasive elementsextending longitudinally of the cylinder and arranged spirally in spacedrelation so as to be disposed in the spiral grooves of the hollow body,a rod mounted lengthwise in said cylinder and freely movablerectilinearly and rotatively with respect thereto, an operating memberhaving an end loosely connected to said rod so that said rod is freelymovable with respect to said operating member, said operating memberbeing adapted to be moved rectilinearly to impart correspondingmovements to said cylinder, said abrasive elements in said cylinderbeing adapted to follow the paths of the spiral grooves of said hollowbody during rectilinear movements imparted to the cylinder by saidoperating member.

6. A device for polishing inner spiral grooves of a hollow body, saiddevice comprising a holder having in its outer surface longitudinallyspaced spirally disposed grooves, a block of abrasive material in eachgroove, an operating handle, means for connecting the operating handlewith said holder so that the holder is movable rectilinearly androtatively with respect to said handle, and means carried by said handleand engageable with means carried by said holder for transmittingrotative forces imparted to said handle to said holder.

7. A device for honing inner spiral grooves of a hollow body, saiddevice comprising a holder having in its outer surface longitudinallyextending spirally disposed grooves, a block of abrasive material ineach groove, an operating means, means for connecting the operatingmeans with said holder so that the holder is movable rectilinearly androtatively with respect to said operating means, and an extensioncarried by said operating means and engageable with an extension on theholder for transmitting rotative forces imparted to said operating meansto said holder.

8. A device for polishing inner spiral grooves of a hollow body, saiddevice comprising a cylindrical holder having in its outer surfacelongitudinally spaced spirally disposed abrasive elements, a bore formedlengthwise of said holder along the center thereof, a rod mounted insaid bore about which said holder is freely rotatable, an operatingmember, means for loosely connecting the operating member with said rodso that said rod is freely movable rectilinearly and rotatively withrespect to said operating member, said operating member being adapted tobe moved rectilinearly to impart rectilinear movements to said holder,said holder being adapted to turn on spiral lines in the hollow bodyduring rectilinear movements imparted thereto by said operating memberwithout likewise turning said operating member.

9. A device for honing inner spiral grooves of a hollow body, saiddevice comprising a holder having in its outer surface abrasive elementsfor disposition in said spiral grooves, a bore formed lengthwise of saidholder along the center thereof, a rod mounted in said bore about whichsaid holder is freely rotatable, an eye formed at one end of said rodand normally disposed in spaced relation to the end of said holder, anoperating member, means for loosely connecting an end of said operatingmember to the eye of said rod, so that the rod is freely movable withrespect to said operating member, said operating member being adapted tobe moved rectilinearly to impart rectilinear movements to said holder,said holder being adapted, when moved rectilinearly by said operatingmember, to rotate in the hollow body as the abrasive elements carried bysaid holder follow the spiral grooves in the hollow body withoutrotative movements being imparted to said operating member, and meanscarried by said operating member and engageable with means carried bysaid holder for transmitting rotative forces imparted to said operatingmember to said holder.

10. A device for honing inner spiral grooves of a hollow body, saiddevice comprising a holder having in its outer surface longitudinalspirally disposed blocks of abrasive material, an operating means, meansfor connecting the operating means with said holder so that said holderis rotatable and movable rectilinearly with respect to said operatingmeans, and a lug carried by said operating means and .engageable with alug carried by said holder for transmitting rotative forces imparted tosaid operating means to said holder.

11. A device for honing inner spiral grooves of 'a, hollow body, saiddevice comprising a holder having in its outer surface longitudinalspirally disposed blocks of abrasive material, an operating means, meansfor loosely connecting an end of said operating means with said holderso that the holder is shiftable a. limited amount rectilinearly withrespect to the operating means to thereby dispose the holder either in aposition in proximity to the end of the operating means or in a positionremote from the end of the operating means, said holder being mounted onsaid connecting means for free rotation with respect to the operatingmeans and the connecting means, and means carried by said operatingmeans and engageable with means carried by said holder when said holderis disposed in proximity to the end of said operating means fortransmitting rotative forces imparted to said operating means to saidholder.

WILLIAM C. RICKRODE.

